The Chickens' Disease
by laurah2215
Summary: Series:These Changes: Story #5


Title: The Chickens Disease

Title: The Chickens Disease  
Author: Laura H  
Rating: PG, pretty kid-friendly.  
Disclaimer: I'm a poor (soon to be) university student. Please don't  
sure. Plus, I live in Can., so the legality of it would be crazy and  
not worth your time for the little amount in my piggy bank. Lol.  
Synopsis: Danny and the kids have the chicken pox, so CJ has to take  
over the family responsibilities.  
Author's notes: Takes place late 2013. It's a flash-forward in time  
during my post-admin series. Josh and Donna live on the same street as  
CJ and Danny, because Donna works with CJ at the Hollis Foundation and  
Josh does consulting work and lecturing. Hey, it's a fictional world,  
I can use my creative license, right?

Danny got the call at work. He had only been working at the Los  
Angeles Times for two weeks, ever since his son started Kindergarten  
at the beginning of September and he realized he needed to do  
something other than writing political biographies in the spare time  
he would soon be graced with. Over the last seven years, he had  
written autobiographies for Joshiah Bartlet ,Abigail Bartlet, and Leo  
McGarry ,and he is currently penning the first notes for Claudia Jean  
Cregg Concannnon's memoirs. In August, he was quickly offered a  
position as the senior editor for Politics at the L.A. Times, and  
after discussing it at length with CJ, had agreed to sign on. The past  
two weeks had been as crazy as they had been before they moved to  
Santa Monica, but they were making it work and settling into a new  
routine. So, when he receives a call from the children's school  
secretary telling him that his son is sick and needs to go home, Danny  
exhales loudly and reminds himself that it was his choice to try to  
balance work and being Mr. Mom.

"Danny, what's up?" His wife's concerned voice fills the other line.

Danny leans back in his swivel chair and closes his eyes. " How  
busy is your day?"

CJ blinks rapidly, not even bothering to consult her computer  
calendar. " Honey, I'd love to do lunch, but I've gotta prep for the  
board meeting next week. Then I've got an executive meeting at two…"

"I don't want to do lunch," Danny quickly corrects her. " I mean,  
I'd love to do lunch," Danny sighs deeply. "but I can't now. Anyway, I  
was calling because the school secretary called and P.J.'s got a  
fever. Honey, he passed out."

"Oh, no, my poor baby," CJ cries.

"I would go get him but I've got this…"

"Don't worry, I'm on it. I'll just reschedule a few... Damnit,  
this is bad timing."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," CJ assures him. "Kay, I'll go get him."

"Call me later and let me know how he's feeling," Danny requests.

"Sure. I better get on this. Have a good day."

"You, too. Love ya," Danny whispers, feeling bad for his little  
boy and his wife for having to mess up her schedule.

"Love you, too."

CJ carries her son's sleeping form up the stairs and into his  
Sesame Street-themed room beside the master bedroom. She lowers him to  
the bed before grabbing a clean pair of pajamas from the chest of  
drawers. Like she's done a hundred times before, CJ slips the four  
(going on five) year-old boy into his p.j.s without waking him up.  
She pulls the blankets back and settles him in between the sheets,  
then pulls the quilt (handmade by Danny's mother) up to his chest.  
Since she had already fetched the children's Tylenol from her purse  
and gave it to him with a sip of her Perrier, there's nothing left  
for her to do but watch to see if his temperature increases. She  
smoothes back the boy's messy head of auburn curls (one of the many  
traits he had inherited from his father) and places a kiss to his temple.

An hour later, while she's on the phone in the study on a  
conference call with the board of directors, CJ hears the familiar  
sound of her name being called from across the hall.

"Alice, sorry, I've gotta go, my baby's calling me. Mr. Chair,  
please excuse me."

"Of course," Rick Anders replies instantly, followed by murmurs  
of "Bye" and " hope Patrick's alright," from the directors.

"Mommy!" The voice is more urgent this time; he's obviously awake.

CJ crosses the room to perch on the edge of the bed and examine  
her sleepy son, who immediately launches himself into her arms.

"It's okay, Peanut. Mommy's here. You're getting sick, aren't  
ya?" CJ presses her lips to his forehead to check his temperature and  
deduces that he's burning up.

"Want Clinton," Patrick mumbles into his mother's chest.

CJ reaches down to the floor to retrieve the little boy's  
cherished stuffed duck and hand it to him. " What do you say, Pat? Pat…"

"Thank you," Pat whispers in his signature tiny voice, his eyes  
averted to the bed. It's an ongoing battle to get the Autistic child  
to use words and adopt common social skills, like manners.

"Kay, sweetie, I'm gonna go get you some ginger ale and find the  
thermometer." CJ kisses her son's cheek and promises to return in a  
minute.

Patrick puts up a fight when CJ tries to insert the ear  
thermometer into his tiny ear. He's clearly miserable and ill.  
Finally, lying on the bed and pulling the boy onto her lap, CJ gets  
an accurate reading while she strokes Patrick's head (which is resting  
on her chest). CJ reaches across to the nightstand and grabs the  
sippy cup of ginger ale. She lifts the cup to Pat's lips, and he takes  
a couple sips before handing it back to CJ.

The phone rings in the master bedroom and study, so CJ moves  
Patrick to a lying position on the bed and rushes down the hall to  
pick up the receiver on the large mahogany desk in the study.

"Concannon residence," CJ huffs into the phone.

"Hey, baby. You sound stressed," Danny's warm voice fills the line.

CJ falls into the chair at the desk with a small smile. " He's  
got a 101.6 degree fever."

"You think it's the flue?" Danny asks, mopping at his sweaty  
forehead with a tissue.

"Yeah," CJ sighs deeply. She knew as soon as he started school he  
would pick up every virus going around.

"Well, we'll keep him away from Reese; that last thing we need is  
two sick children," Danny drawls.

"You don't sound so hot," CJ remarks, listening intently to her  
husband's voice.

"Well, I feel very hot," Danny deadpans with a sarcastic eye-roll.

"Danny…"

"I've just been rushing around on my feet," Danny assures her.

"Okay, well, I've gotta go. Take it easy,"

"Yeah, you, too. Let me know if the fever gets any worse."

They exchange "love yous" and "goodbyes" and CJ goes back to  
Pat's room. CJ lies down with him and attempts to distract him by  
reading all his favourite books and showing him his building blocks,  
toy cars and stuffed animals. That lasts an hour, before he falls  
back asleep and CJ heads downstairs to refill his sippy cup and call  
Josh and tell him to send Reese home after school because she is home  
and doesn't need him to baby-sit. Around 3 o'clock, she prepares a  
snack for Reese.

Except when the normally energetic, talkative, merry six year-old  
knocks at the door, Reese has no interest in the yogurt and berries CJ  
prepared for her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" CJ kneels down to the height of  
little girl (who is graced with CJ's height, skin tone and eyes, not  
to mention precocious sense of wonder) and runs her hand through her  
strawberry-blonde ringlets.

"My head hurts, and I feel tired," Reese divulges, wrapping her  
skinny arms around CJ's neck. "Why are you home? Where's Daddy?"

CJ can't contain her eye-roll. It never fails, she is never good  
enough for the daddy's girl. " Pat's sick, so I came home to look  
after him. Daddy's at work, he'll be home for supper." CJ presses her  
lips to Reese's forehead, and the little girl frowns. "Wonderful,  
you've got whatever Pat's got."

"Does that mean I can stay home from school tomorrow and eat  
ice-cream and Nibs?" Reese's blue eyes sparkle.

CJ chuckles and stands up, placing her hand on Reese's back and  
ushering her up the staircase. "If you're sick, you can stay home and  
eat chicken noodle soup and lots of vegetables."

Reese frowns and CJ takes the Strawberry Shortcake backup from  
Reese's back. She sets the bag down and searches the messy,  
toy-covered floor for Reese's pajamas. " Okay, get into bed and I'll  
bring you some ginger-ale and a cool cloth for your forehead."

CJ descends the stairs and braces herself to go through the same  
routine as she employed with Pat. The kids don't get sick too often.  
Reese averages one case of the cold a year, while Pat picks up  
whatever his sister catches, and brings home a couple additional  
viruses from his Autism play group. So, while she knows what to do to  
care for her children, she's severely out of practice, as Danny's  
usually the one to kiss scraped knees, pump them full of Zinc and  
Echinacea, and cuddle them when they're sick. Around four-thirty, CJ  
leaves the children resting in the den on the main floor, watching  
children's programming, while she searches the freezer for something  
to make for dinner for her and Danny (the kids would eat soup). Donna  
calls when she gets home from the office to check on the kids. CJ  
relays the symptoms to her friend and neighbour so Donna can watch out  
for the symptoms in her own children. No sooner does she hang up the  
phone in the kitchen then Danny unlocks the front door, drops his keys  
and briefcase on the table by the door, and comes slumping into the  
kitchen, where he hears CJ rummaging through the cupboards.

Danny stops behind CJ and places a hand on her shoulder, causing  
her to jump and whip around in surprise. "Oh, honey, you look  
terrible," CJ pouts, reaching for Danny's cheeks.

Danny rolls his eyes. " That's what a man wants to hear when he  
gets home from work."

CJ chuckles and moves her hand around Danny's face, absorbing the  
heat from his fever. "Sorry, darling, but it's true. You're home early  
and that can only mean one thing. I can't believe you've got the  
virus, too. This isn't good."

"I'm not sick," Danny argues, although he had avoided hugging and  
kissing CJ when he came in just in case he is contagious.

"Oh, yes, you are. Well, there's no point in trying to find  
something for dinner. I'll find some chicken noodle soup for all of  
us." CJ puts her hands on her hips and exhales loudly. She doesn't  
need an ill husband on top of two sick children.

"I'm going to take a shower and put my head down for ten  
minutes," Danny announces as a question.

CJ and Danny's elderly neighbour, Mrs. Holbrooke, called to  
confirm that she was needed for babysitting the next day. CJ told her  
that no, Danny wasn't feeling well and would likely be staying home  
with the sick kids. With that knowledge, Mrs. Holbrooke had brought  
CJ a plastic container of frozen homemade chicken noodle soup, with  
the promise to return tomorrow with a fresh batch. CJ had thanked her  
and headed up stairs to check on her patients.

Now, CJ rests in the doorjamb to the master bedroom, where Danny  
is lying under the covers of the bed, Reese and Pat curled into each  
side. A big grin escapes her lips at seeing her family so vulnerable  
and in need of her. She crosses to the bed and rests on the left side,  
beside Pat. Danny offers her a pained look.

"Okay, it's bath time," CJ declares, appraising her children's  
appearance and behaviour. Obviously this isn't going to be a  
twenty-four hour bug.

"Okay, honey, but let's wait til the kids go to bed," Danny  
teases through his fatigue.

CJ shakes her head affectionately. "Come on, Pat's first."

Pat shakes his head firmly. He has a couple Ninja Turtles in his  
fists, and doesn't want to get up and put his toys down.

"Bath time, Patrick. You've got toys to play with in the bath."  
CJ lifts an unhappy-looking little boy into her arms and carries him  
to the kid's bathroom down the hall. She begins to run the water and  
oatmeal bath soak(they had ran out of bubbles last week so the kids  
are using CJ's bath soak). Then she finds a few boats, plastic  
figurines and plastic bowls and cups in the cupboard to keep Pat  
amused. Finally she strips off his pajamas and with one swoop places  
him gently into the warm water. CJ takes her time lathering up the  
Loreal Kids shampoo and thoroughly washing the loose curls on top of  
his head. She uses soothing Johnson's body wash to scrub his pale  
little body. While she works, Patrick splashes and makes animated  
noises as he crashes boats and sinks them with cups of water.

She lets Pat play for a few extra minutes while she tidies the  
bathroom. Then she has him stand up and she wraps a fluffy towel  
around him and carries him back to the master bedroom. She plunks her  
son on her bed and begins running the towel through his hair to dry it.

"Kay, Reese, you're next. Go get undressed and I'll come run your  
bath," CJ tells her, watching her daughter snuggled into her father  
and watching "Blues Clues" on the television hanging on the wall  
across from the bed.

"Mommy says it's bath-time, Kidlet." Danny turns and places a  
kiss to his daughter's temple.

With a sigh, Reese drags herself off the bed and heads for the  
bathroom.

"Could you grab the Good Nites' and get him in his p.js?" CJ  
asks Danny.

Danny nods and gathers the towel-clad boy into his arms. " Got it."

CJ adjusts the temperature of the water, watches as Reese lowers  
herself into the tub, and leaves her to take her bath by herself.  
She'll go back in a few minutes and check on her, but Reese is pretty  
independent and capable. CJ finds Danny in Pat's room, running his  
hand down their son's back.

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like he's got a rash or something," Danny explains and  
motions for CJ to come closer.

CJ crosses the room and bends to inspect Pat's back, which is  
covered in tiny red dots. He gives her a sad look and pulls at his  
Good Nites'. She turns him around and examines his chest, legs, arms  
and face, all of which are sporting red spots. "Oh, dear."

"What?" Danny asks, confused and concerned.

CJ throws her head back in laughter. "Danny, that's no rash;  
that's chicken pox."

Danny's face falls. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. Which means Reese has it and…" She stops short, her  
eyes locking with Danny's.

"What?" Danny throws his hands in the air, his face a mixture of  
confusion and anticipation.

CJ swallows hard and offers Danny a sympathetic look. " Danny, do  
you remember getting chicken pox when you were a child?"

Danny looks at her quizzically. " I don't remember."

"I bet that's what you have, too. Just a sec..." CJ rushes to the  
bathroom, where Reese is expertly scrubbing her arms. She rummages  
through the medicine cabinet until she finds what she is looking  
for-Calomine lotion.

"I'll come get you in a minute," CJ tells Reese before tracing  
her steps back to Pat's room.

"You're going to have an oatmeal bath and then call your mother  
and ask her if you ever had the chicken pox," CJ addresses Danny while  
she applies the lotion to all Pat's spots with a cotton ball.

"No, Mommy. Don't like." With a pout, Patrick buries his face in  
CJ's three-quarter length top.

"I know baby," CJ soothes, running a hand through his damp curls.  
"but the lotion will make you feel better."

Danny collapses onto the little bed with a sigh. " This is so  
stupid. What am I going to tell my colleagues?"

CJ smiles. " That you got a virus you should have got forty-five  
years ago." She smirks to lighten the mood. "I've got two ill children  
to look after, you've gotta be an adult about this."

Danny picks himself up and nods. " It's not that…it's  
just…unbelievable, really."

CJ helps Reese out of the bath and guides her to her bedroom so  
she can apply the lotion and get her into her pajamas.

"Why do you put lotion on the spots?"

"So they don't itch," CJ explains to her inquisitive daughter.

"What's it called again?" Reese tilts her head, her curls bouncing.

"Chicken pox," CJ answers, fanning the lotion with her hand to  
help it dry on the spots.

"Did I get it from eating chicken fingers?" Reese asks in alarm,  
her blue eyes as wide as saucers.

CJ chuckles softly. " No, sweetheart. You probably caught it from  
someone at school."

"So I can still eat chicken fingers, right?" Her blue eyes widen  
with hope.

CJ nods and smiles affectionately. " Yes, but for now you've  
gotta eat soup and drink lots of fluids so you feel better."

CJ changes into pajamas (a tank-top and boxer pants tonight) and  
settles into bed with the kids tucked into either side of her. Danny  
emerges from their en-suit bathroom in his boxers, sporting a rueful  
expression.

CJ turns to get a good look at him. " Did the oatmeal make the  
dots come out?"

"Daddy's got the chicken's disease too?" Reese asks in disbelief.

Danny breaks into a grin and jumps across the bed to tickle his  
daughter. "Yes, the chickens got Daddy, too. It's revenge of the  
chickens!"

Reese struggles to wiggle away through her giggling fit.

"Danny, stop!" CJ cries, but she's already laughing. " Come on,  
you're gonna make her spots itch more."

Danny pulls Reese into his arms and flips himself around to a  
lying position and settles Reese on his chest.

"Okay, who wants a story before bed?" CJ wonders aloud, flicking  
the television off.

"I do!" Reese answers enthusiastically, throwing her hand in the air.

"Go pick out a story and get "Good night Moon" for Pat," CJ  
instructs.

When Reese returns with an armful of books, she settles in  
between Danny and Pat. Reese begins to read her favourite story (for  
this month) and CJ helps her with the difficult words. CJ reads "Good  
night Moon" for Pat, holding him close in one arm and letting him flip  
the pages until he drifts into a peaceful slumber. Last, Danny reads  
a chapter of a small fantasy novel about dragons and princesses and  
other magical creatures that Reese loves while Reese's heavy eyes  
start to close.

CJ leans in and whispers in Danny's ear, " They're conked out.  
Why don't you kiss them goodnight and I'll get them into bed?"

"I can help you," Danny convinces her, scooping Reese into his  
arms and lifting her onto his chest and shoulder. Danny carries her  
into her room and lays her on her princess bed. He kisses her softly  
on the forehead and turns out the bedside lamp.

CJ sets Pat in bed and positions all his favourite toys around  
him, effectively tucking him into bed. She drops a kiss to his temple,  
pulls the covers up to his chest and flicks off the lamp on the  
nightstand.

CJ and Danny meet in the hallway. They go to kiss their other  
child goodnight and meet again in their room.

"Come here," CJ perches on the edge of the bed with the bottle of  
Calomine lotion in her hand and motions for Danny to crawl forward  
beside her.

Danny gives CJ his back, and she decides to make him feel really  
better. She peppers small kisses over each red spot before she applies  
the Calomine lotion. Danny turns around so she can repeat the action  
on his chest and face. She just dabs lotion onto the spots on his arms  
and legs, noticing that Danny's eyes are becoming heavy. "Feel  
better?" She lightly blows on his collar bone and across his chest to  
dry the lotion.

Danny nods and pulls CJ into his arms, falling back on the bed  
and bringing her with him. He pushes a strand of her hair back and  
cups her cheek. Their eyes lock in a heated gaze before Danny leans up  
to capture her lips in a sensuous kiss.

CJ can feel Danny perspiring and that reminds her that he still  
is sick. She gives Danny's upper lip one last tug before dropping a  
sweet kiss to his chin and breaking away.

Danny moans, his eyes fluttering open.

"You're exhausted and I have a feeling at least one of our little  
angels will wake us up in the night." CJ steps off the bed. " I'm  
gonna go get ready for bed."

When CJ returns from the en-suit bathroom after brushing her  
teeth and hair and washing her face, she finds Danny slumbering on the  
bed, the covers haphazardly gathered underneath him. CJ turns off the  
lamp, crawls into bed and arranges the covers across Danny and finally  
settles into a sleeping position on her side, facing Danny and draping  
an arm across his chest.

CJ awakes to a familiar tapping on her shoulder. She cranes her  
neck to see Patrick kneeling on the bed, his face pout-y and sad.  
"Hey, Peanut," CJ addresses him groggily. "Did you wet the bed?"

Pat shakes his head and lowers himself to lie beside his mother.  
He snuggles in close and buries his face in her arm. "Okay, baby.  
You're not feeling well, I know. You can stay here til you fall  
asleep." CJ wraps an arm around his tiny frame.

"Hon', what is it?" Danny mumbles sleepily without opening his eyes.

"Shsh, nothing, darling. Pat just wants his mamma. Go back to sleep."

"Kay, night P.J.," Danny mutters tiredly.

CJ kisses Pat's forehead and determines that his fever hasn't  
broke. She lays him down on the bed and goes to the bathroom to  
retrieve the Tylenol, a glass of water and the thermometer. This time  
Pat submits to the thermometer and CJ can easily figure out his  
temperature.

"Danny, his fever's gone up," CJ informs her husband, her voice  
laced with concern.

"Did you give him Tylenol?" Danny responds groggily.

"He just had it four hours ago and I'm gonna give him more now.  
I think something's wrong." CJ brushes Pat's wayward curls away from  
his face.

"He's got the chicken pox," Danny replies dryly.

"Danny! I'm serious. This isn't paranoia. I know my children." CJ  
exhales deeply.

Danny turns to face them and puts a couple fingers on Pat's  
forehead. "He's warmer than I am. How bad is it?"

"102.2" CJ responds, meeting Danny's eyes.

Taking in a gulp of air, Danny shakes his head. " You could call  
Dr. Feinstein or Abbey or…"

"I don't want to wake anyone up in the middle of the night and I  
really don't feel like sitting in the hospital emergency ward." CJ  
explains the dilemna.

"Well, try getting him to drink fluids and see if the Tylenol  
breaks his fever in the next hour or two. If nothing has improved,  
call Abbey and ask Dr. Feinstein to make a house call," Danny offers  
his suggestion and turns to lie on his back and fall easily back to  
sleep. "Keep me posted."

CJ securely wraps her son in her arms and lies down. "Get some  
sleep, Peanut."

The light feathery kiss to his forehead brings Danny out of his  
heavy slumber. He blinks repeatedly until he can focus on his wife's  
hovering face.

"Morning, darling. You slept well," CJ points out, handing Danny  
a glass of orange juice and perching beside him on the bed.

"I was zonked. You don't look very rested," Danny remarks,  
sitting up and scowling at his glass of juice-he would kill for a cup  
of coffee right now. Of course, CJ is only looking out for him. During  
both her pregnancies, Danny had insisted that she switch to orange  
juice and decaf instead of her morning cup of Joe.

CJ frowns. " The kids kept me up all night. I even had to give you  
some Tylenol because you were burning up. Speaking of which, give me  
your ear."

Danny tilts his head (no sense in arguing) and CJ picks the  
thermometer up off the nightstand and inserts into Danny's ear.

"You know, this would be more fun if you put more feeling into  
it. I'm not feelin' the love," Danny smirks.

"I'll show you the love and shove this thing up your ass if  
you're not careful," CJ deadpans, removing the thermometer and reading  
its report.

"Don't tease me, baby. So, did P.J.'s fever break?" Danny asks,  
turning to glance at the reading.

CJ shakes her head. "It's steady at 101.8. You're still very  
warm. 100.3" Frowning, CJ leans forward to kiss Danny's forehead.

"I think I need help in the shower," Danny pouts playfully,  
hoping to milk this for all its worth.

"Honey, your body would heat up and then break down if you  
attempted anything mildly exerting. So, you'll manage to bathe  
yourself. Go take an oatmeal bath and I'll cook you a nice breakfast."  
CJ kisses Danny's lips chastely.

"Where are my munchkins?"Danny bellows in a drawl, descending the  
staircase.

Tiny footfalls can be heard scurrying to the foot of the stairs.  
" Daddy!"

Danny scoops his daughter into his arms and begins feathering  
butterfly kisses all over Reese's spotted face.

"Take it easy," CJ warns, stepping out of the kitchen, a spatula  
waving in her hand.

"Kay, baby, don't scratch," Danny tells Reese before lifting her  
back to the ground and following CJ into the kitchen.

"How are they?" Danny inquires, turning his back around to watch  
Reese's retreating form.

CJ, standing at the stove, scoops a pile of scrambled eggs onto a  
plate with a couple pieces of toast and places it on the table in the  
centre of the room. "Pat's still fevered, and Reese can't stop  
scratching. Come eat."

"Thanks," Danny replies, flopping into his regular chair and  
starting in on his breakfast.

CJ sits next to Danny and begins to eat her breakfast. " I called  
Abbey and Dr. Feinstein. I'm taking Pat to the doctor's at  
nine-thirty, bringing him back here, then going to the office. I'll be  
back by five or five-thirty and I'll heat up the soup that Mrs.  
Holbrooke's bringing over later.

Danny nods mutely.

"I called your mother. She confirmed that you indeed didn't pick  
up the chicken pox as a child and she apologizes for keeping you away  
from your infected sister when you were three."

"Her over-protectiveness reeks havoc on my life again," Danny  
mutters under his breath.

"If you don't feel good, you should call Dr. Webber and see if he  
can take you today. Don't leave it. Make sure to drink plenty of  
fluids and apply the lotion. Watch the kids. Make sure they drink lots  
and avoid scratching." CJ grabs her dishes , places one last kiss to  
Danny's forehead and gives him a rueful look." Are you gonna be okay  
by yourself?"

Danny rolls his eyes. "CJ, I've been taking care of the kids for  
over six years, and myself for thirty years. I can handle chicken  
pox," he assures her, pulling her arm toward him so she sways close  
enough for him to tilt his head up and kiss her. "Go to work, we'll be  
fine."

CJ attempts a smile, but her instincts are screaming at her to  
stay home and care for her babies-all three of them.

Dr. Feinstein, the children's pediatrician, warns CJ about the  
complications Pat could experience and gives her suggestions for  
treating the virus and treating the flue-like symptoms. She instructs  
CJ to watch the fever vigorously and if it doesn't improve by the end  
of the day, Pat may need to be hospitalized to better treat it. With  
scary new facts, CJ buckles the little boy into his car seat and  
traces her route home.

"Danny, I'm back. Pat needs to be put in bed and given lots of  
Pedialyte and water….Danny?" CJ carries Pat's dozing form into the  
den. She lets out a loud gasp when she sees Danny lying sprawled out  
on the couch and Reese leaning over him, poking his face in attempt to  
get him to wake.

"Oh, my God! Reese, what happened?" CJ bends beside the couch and  
feels Danny's face.

"Daddy stopped laughing at the show, and when I tried to wake  
him up he just…lied there." Reese stutters, her arms lifted in a shrug.

CJ's analysis concludes that Danny is clammy, hot, and clearly  
unconscious. "Okay, Reese, honey, I need your help. Can you take Pat  
upstairs and help him into his pajamas and then you can both lie down  
in Mommy and Daddy's bed and watch T.V.?"

Reese grins toothily and nods her head, her curls bobbing. "I can  
do it, Mommy."

CJ retrieves a cold washcloth from the bathroom and returns to  
the den to soak Danny's forehead in cool water. After a minute,  
Danny's eyes flutter open.

"Hey, there. You gave me quite a scare. How are you feeling?" CJ  
smiles down at Danny's struggling face.

"I'm a little…dizzy," Danny mumbles drunkenly.

"Okay, let's see if we can get you up to bed." CJ holds Danny's  
arms and pulls him foreword.

"It's hard to focus," Danny grumbles as he allows his wife to  
take him by the arms across the room.

"Danny, do you want to go to the hospital?" CJ inquires  
concernedly, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

Danny shakes his head, but the action hurts him so he stops. "You  
gotta go to work."

"T' hell I am. I can't leave you in this state to care for two  
sick children. I'll call Donna, she can take most of my meetings  
today. I'd ask Josh or Devin to come help you, but Josh is lecturing  
at UCLA and Devin is working the day shift at the hospital." Often  
times when they need a babysitter, CJ and Danny will turn to Josh and  
Donna, or Devin and Joel, their immediate neighbours and favourite gay  
couple. Today, neither of those options are available, and CJ would  
hate to burden Mrs. Holbrooke, their seventy-year old neighbour, with  
three chicken pox patients.

CJ guides Danny carefully up the stairs before he collapses the  
minute he approaches the bed. CJ crawls across the bed and examines  
her husband more carefully. Placing her palms on Danny's pale cheeks,  
CJ frowns sadly. "Are you sure you're okay? Please tell me what I can do…"

Danny merely grunts in response. " Don't worry about me."

Reese comes stomping dramatically into the room, tugging her  
little brother by the arm behind her. "That was hard."

CJ chuckles softly at her little drama queen. "Don't pull your  
brother like that, it hurts him. Come here, guys." She motions for  
them to jump on the bed and they immediately obey. Pat snuggles into  
his mother's lap and Reese settles next to her father, resting one arm  
on his chest.

CJ holds the bowl of grapes that the family are munching on while  
she noiselessly keeps watch over her patients. Reese seems to be  
fine-itching like crazy, but no sign of a fever. Pat's fever is  
pain-stakingly diminishing, and CJ has to distract him with movies,  
toys and books to cease his scratching. But poor Danny is the worst  
off of them all. He lies motionless in the middle of the bed, eyes  
closed, completely miserable. He's fevered, sweaty, nauseous, fatigued  
and irritable. He complained that he could be working or writing, but  
he can barely lift his legs. CJ had called their doctor, who told her  
to keep track of these "neurological, or emotional" symptoms because  
they should decrease after a day or two. He assured her that it's  
typical for adults with chicken pox to be more affected. So, between  
playing nurse, doctor, playmate, cook, wife and mother all day, CJ is  
now exhausted at four P.M.

CJ hears the doorbell ring and lets out an audible sigh. She  
instructs Reese to keep an eye on the boys while she drags herself  
down the stairs and opens the door to Mrs. Holbrooke.

"Hi, dear. You look exhausted," the elderly, grey-haired woman  
frowns sympathetically.

With a smile, CJ rolls her eyes. " Between my sick children and  
husband, I've barely sat down all day."

Mrs. Holbrooke nods with a toothy smile. " Well, at least you  
don't have to cook. A fresh batch of chicken soup straight from my  
stove." She hands CJ a large plastic bowl full of soup.

"I can't thank you enough. You're a life-saver." CJ breathes a  
sigh of relief.

"If they're still sick tomorrow, I can stay with them," Mrs.  
Holbrooke offers.

"Thank you, but hopefully Danny will be well enough to watch the  
kids. If not, then I really should stay home again." CJ's mentally  
struggles with her conflicting desires- a part of her wanting to  
return to work and accomplish important steps for "Paving the Way to  
Prosperity", the other part wanting to nurse her family back the  
health and be with them when they need her most.'

"Well, just let me know if you need anything, dear." Mrs.  
Holbrooke smiles and waves before CJ closes the door.

CJ helped bathe the itchy patients in oatmeal and apply another  
round of Calomine lotion. She even helped Danny in and out of the tub,  
just in case he felt dizzy and slipped on the tile. Finally, by eight  
o'clock, everyone is clean, spotted in lotion, and curled up with  
their favourite blankets and stuffed-toys in the master bed-room.  
Reese and Pat are dozing in their parents arms, the dull tones of a  
news program playing on the T.V. across the room.

"I'm gonna put these guys to bed," CJ tilts her head to place a  
kiss to Danny's temple.

"Kay. Hey," Danny turns his head to face CJ and brings a hand up  
to cup her face and bring it closer to him. "Thank you, for  
everything." He drops a sweet kiss on her lips.

CJ grins widely. "I'm not too bad at being Mom, am I?"

Danny chuckles lightly. "Does this mean you're gonna start making  
school lunches and cleaning the den every day?"

CJ glowers playfully."Don't push it. We have well-payed, lovely  
helpers to scrub the floors and get the crayon off the wall. But,  
maybe I could try to spend less time working and…"

"Shsh, you're doin' just fine," Danny's face softens in  
assurance. "You do all the important stuff-the reading, bathing,  
checking spelling words, attending therapy with Pat…"

"And you pack the lunches, play baseball and basketball, take  
Reese to piano lessons. You're their favourite playmate. " CJ says, a  
hint of sadness in her tone.

Danny grins. " I'm a father, I get that luxury. You're Mom,  
you're supposed to be firm and loving. The way we do it, it works for  
us. That's the important thing."

CJ bobs her head and closes her eyes. Yes. She doesn't have to  
be home twenty-four hours a day to be a good mother. Women can stay at  
home, women can work full-time, or they can try to balance their work  
and family life. CJ is getting good at the latter, as is Danny.  
They're ready to face whatever life throws their way, even if it is  
the chicken pox.


End file.
